Sunday, September 13, 2009

Boy-Sterous Living


If you've read my blog for long, you probably know my feelings about mothers of boys. As in, mothers of boys are a different creature than mothers of girls, even if the mothers of boys HAVE girls. It is even more apparent when the mothers of boys have boys first (b/c mothers of girls that have A boy somewhere in the middle still see life differently). Yes they are generalizations, and yes someone will be the exception, and no, I'm not singling anyone out, HOWEVER the trend (as I see it) is there. We can find one another in the crowd. We are usually marked by the blood smear on our shirt and we're the ones sitting on the sidelines calling out to our wresting sons, "Privates are off limits mister. I don't care how goofy it looks on America's Funniest Home Videos! Dude, you totally deserved that kick to the chin; I saw you bite his ankle!" Well that, and our sons are the ones wrestling...and our daughters have potentially jumped into the fray.

So there was this book I was going to write. It was going to talk about the wonder of what it means to be a mother of boys and the joys and [smell] honor and responsibility that incurs. My book began with a popped light bulb. (For you mother's of daughters, that is how you describe the phenomenon that occurs when a son jumps off the top of the refrigerator (Oh, I kid. It was the table...or was it the stove? I was in the basement and only heard the thud and the hearsay) and the light in the basement actually explodes and is rendered dead in the socket.) I'm not sure how my book was going to end. Hopefully with the boys surviving until college. But I won't know, either, because Jean Blackmer wrote it before I could get the light bulbs replaced and write it myself. And if you are a mother of boys (even if it is only one and he's surrounded with seven sisters) this book is a valuable resource.

About the book: Raising boys isn't easy. Life with them is loud. If it's quiet, they're probably up to something. Boys are messy, competitive, fearless, and proud. Living with them pretty much guarantees that you're in for an adventure.

In Boy-sterous Living, Jean shares a few of the priceless stories and laugh-out-loud lessons that she and her boys have experienced over the years. With humorous insight and practical advice, she offers encouragement and ideas to help both mothers and fathers impact and shape the lives of their sons. From understanding their love of sports to overcoming the superman complex, Jean shows moms how to find joy and contentment in everyday life by celebrating the laughter, passion, noise, and endless energy boys bring to our lives.

About the author: Jean is currently the Publishing Manager for MOPS International and she's been free-lance writing for 16 years. She has been published in a variety of local and national publications, including: Guideposts, MomSense, Today's Christian Woman, Christian Parenting Today, American Girl, Proverbs 31 Woman, Chicken Soup for the Mother and Son Soul, Chicken Soup Cookbook for the Busy Mom's Soul, Focus on the Family's Teen Phases, Guideposts Miracle Series, and others.

She also co-authored her first book, Where Women Walked: Powerful True Stories of Women's Perseverance and God's Provision. (Tyndale/Focus on the Family, 2004) This book was nominated for a Gold Medallion Award.

Jean graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a Bachelor's (1987) and a Master's (1992) degree in Journalism. She lives in Boulder with her husband Zane; three boys, Josh, Jordan, and Jake.

Find out more about Jean here!

CONTEST: Enter your grossest or funniest moment as a mom of a boy (No boys? That’s okay – we still want to hear your story!) and you could win movie tickets and a snack for you and a friend to escape! Share your story by emailing your entry to amy@litfusegroup.com or posting it on the Moms of Boys facebook page!

And if you want to know what other people are saying about Boy-Sterous Living, check here.

2 comments:

Sr. Citizen said...

As the Dad of three sharp girls, I am qualified to tell you parents of boys THE most important thing to teach the guys (if they want to go with my girls) is to look me square in the eye and tell the truth. Learn to shake hands like a man and not a weeny. Come to the door and look me in the eye and tell me the truth about what time you will have her home.

Given the current style, it appears that guys have forgotten how to use a comb. If they can't comb their hair, they ain't going to amount to much (far as I'm concerned)

Course, I haven't used a comb for 10 years. Being a Sr Citizen, I don't have to have hair except the braids in my nose and ears. No fancy rings needed - we are all organic. Bet this could bring on an interesting blog from one of the three. Sr.

Jean Blackmer said...

Thanks for the book review and I'm sure you could write a book full of boy stories too!

Jean

www.jeanblackmer.blogspot.com